<i>Ukufa kukaShaka</i> is a historical drama by Elliot Zondi, first published in 1960 in the Bantu (later, African) Treasury Series. Its plot is based on the events surrounding the assassination of Shaka, the mighty Zulu king, by his two half-brothers, Dingane and Mhlangana, aided and ab...

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Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	Zondi, Elliot 1930-2005 (Author)
Format:	Electronic eBook
Language:	English
Published:	Johannesburg, South Africa Wits University Press 2021
Series:	African treasury series 14
Subjects:	Shaka / King of the Zulu / 1787?-1828 / Drama Zulu drama
Online Access:	BSB01 UBG01 Volltext
Summary:	<i>Ukufa kukaShaka</i> is a historical drama by Elliot Zondi, first published in 1960 in the Bantu (later, African) Treasury Series. Its plot is based on the events surrounding the assassination of Shaka, the mighty Zulu king, by his two half-brothers, Dingane and Mhlangana, aided and abetted by his paternal aunt, Mkabayi, in 1828. The play explores the classic theme of the tragic hero's fatal flaws: hubris and overconfidence. Shaka's ruthless ambition led him to overstep human boundaries, kill with impunity, bar his warriors from having families and force them into endless wars. His blind spot seems to have been to put the survival and expansion of the Zulu kingdom first and the welfare of his subjects second.<br><br>Against this backdrop Mkabayi, whose ambitions for a remarkable Zulu nation were more tempered, played a decisive role in his downfall. Zondi explores arguments both in favour of and against Shaka's assassination in a way that allows the reader to sympathise with his greater vision and his thwarted plan to fight impending colonialism. His dramatisation of the conflict between Shaka and Mkabayi highlights questions of leadership and nation-building that continue to be relevant today
Item Description:	Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 01 Sep 2022)
Physical Description:	1 Online-Ressource (xxviii, 58 Seiten)
ISBN:	9781776141128